Washington’s Navigating Some Unfamiliar Waters

Mute all of the sound around you right now and listen very closely. You notice what you don’t hear?

The sound of a certain owner in the DC area’s private jet taking off, for a private dinner to wine and dine one Joshua Norman…privately. Listen. That is what you do NOT hear.

In other words, as of this posting, the recently un-franchise tagged corner has not shaken Daniel Snyder’s hand. Pause for a second and let that sink in. The jet, is still, in the hangar.

Fully entrenched in year two of the Scot McCloughan era in DC, Washington football fans are still learning how to enjoy sitting outside of the pool during the offseason. No longer the ’72 Dolphins of the NFL before Memorial Day, this fanbase is actually relishing watching other teams do what we were once notorious for. Welcome to bizarro world. Where nine figure deals no longer flow like water for free agents.

The NFC East alone, looks like many an offseason inside the beltway from 2000-2014. The Giants are spending money like it was printed by Hasbro. The Eagles are mortgaging their future for the future, disguised as the present (enfuriating their fans in the process « NSFW, explicit language). And the cowboys are the wildcard for now, after a few sensible moves (I mean we are still talking about Jerry Jones, so give it time).

As a result, the burgundy & gold has fallen into the unfamiliar role of stable, patient and consistent plodder. No quarterback controversy or never ending discussion on the 4-letter network about the team being players for any and all big name free agents. Instead, this is now a place where ILB, NT or CB, are the debates being had in regards to the teams first round pick (#21). And that’s if they even keep the pick, as Scot is looking to add upwards of four additional selections to this year’s draft.

Now don’t get me wrong. Josh Norman, is viewed by most as an elite corner and would look good playing for the home team at FedEX. He’s definitely deserving of a look by any team in search of upgraded corner play. But there are also those that say it’s tough to envision paying him elite money, because Carolina’s scheme doesn’t highlight him as a true lockdown DB. Because of this, every team will evaluate him differently, due to their needs and style of play. With the end game being, can we make the dollars make sense?

It’s safe to say that the suits in Ashburn, will do their due diligence in seeing if Josh to DC will in fact make any. However I like the odds that there’s no chance that a deal gets done here. The money it would take is too much to fathom. Especially when you factor in two big deals for current players are on the horizon (Cousins, Reed).

Look at Washington, continuing to lay the foundation of a legit professional franchise. Drafting and developing their own, instead of overpaying other team’s pieces. What a time to be alive.